Puppet Master
by Hovinarri
Summary: Bakura had used it to his advantage before. And he would do it again, to gain his host's trust. After all, Atem was just another pawn in his game. Casteshipping and Tendershipping, contest entry.


Another of those "if I don't post this now, I might never do it"-kind of things.

So, the third round of the Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction contest Season 8.5~

People~ Notice how I tried to fix my mistakes~?

I don't know either. But hey, it's the thought that counts, ne~? |D

**Disclaimer~ I don't own. Anything.**

I always try. Whenever someone tells me that "you could have done that a whole lot better", I think about how I could do it better the next time.

I love you guys for reviewing, by the way. It was so helpful I could glomp you to death. |D /but don't worry, I won't.

The plot might've suffered from that, though. Oh well. Next tier I'll write fluff because fluff is my way of life and you guys don't get a say because I want my fluff. /plus I'm at least better with fluff than this trash

Oh and! _Italics _are flashbacks~!

These fancy lines indicate a change of time and or place! OwO

* * *

><p>"You were with him!" Bakura's host accused, his usually ever so kind tone latched with jealousy and anger. Maybe Bakura deserved this, but he refused to acknowledge the cold fact.<p>

"We were never together or anything, so just shut up." he growled in disagreement, even though he knew that it would not help him in this situation.

"But you were with him!" the other cried in distress. The chocolate-eyed boy just wouldn't believe Bakura, no matter how many times the thief tried to convince his host to work with him.

* * *

><p><em>Purple eyes.<em>

_Purple eyes were what he possessed, Bakura's latest victim, from the time when he was still widely known as the cruel and heartless Thief King Bakura._

_Those purple eyes had always stared up at him oh-so-arrogantly. He had never seemed to be actually bothered by the fact that Bakura was just about a head taller than himself, seeing how it had never stopped him from acting as royalty and rich as ever._

_"You are... a thief." he had said to Bakura the first time their paths crossed, in the edge separating his home from the desert Bakura would be forced to refer to as his home if anyone were to ask._

_How he had come to this conclusion about Bakura's somewhat unusual... occupation, so to say, one may never know._

_Maybe it was the unmistakable contrast between Bakura's dirty white hair and all the golden jewellery he carried with him._

_And maybe it wasn't._

_Maybe he had caught a glimpse of white hair in the corridors of the palace as Bakura made his way around, mapping the huge building for future reference._

_Then again, maybe he hadn't._

* * *

><p>"I wasn't. I just ran into him once or twice back then and threw a few dead-threats around." Bakura insisted.<p>

"You are lying." Ryou kept insisting, stubborn as ever.

"You are just paranoid." the yami countered, already getting fed up with his suspicious host for the day.

If someone were to ever claim spirits couldn't develop a headache, Bakura would be very much willing to snap their neck in two.

Because, at a time, Bakura had wanted to convince his host that the yami would not hurt him. If he would have managed this, the other would've been a lot more useful for him - a willing victim instead of the former lifeless puppet that once in awhile came to life, only to inevitably disobey its master.

The reason why this caused Bakura a very much real spirit-headache was that convincing his host of his so very pure intentions had been nearly impossible from the start, and had turned gradually more and more impossible as time passed by.

The other had been there to witness Bakura's never-ending cruelty himself, after all. Ever since the Millennium Ring came to Ryou's possession, he had been there when Bakura tried to kill Ryou's friends, again, again, and again. And again.

No wonder Ryou couldn't find it in himself to trust Bakura anymore. Hell, it was a miracle he could even trust the Pharaoh's vessel and his "friends", though even that bond was always questionably fragile as well. They never gave Ryou much reason to trust them, since they tip-toed around the fact that Ryou's dark side was a cruel murderer, and that made Ryou, his unwilling, fragile host… What did that make him, indeed? Bakura's friend? His companion? His partner in crime?

Regardless of this, they didn't trust Ryou much, so why should Ryou trust them, either?

Trust is always mutual, after all. And since he didn't do trust, reluctantly, Bakura had been forced to use the oldest, cheapest, and utterly cruelest tactic ever; love.

* * *

><p><em>"No." Bakura denied, always willing, almost eager, to make himself known, "I'm not just <em>_**a thief**__. I am __**The Thief**__. I am Thief King Bakura."_

_"Thief Ki-!" the man- no, the boy's eyes widened, and the name caught in his throat. Bakura took this piece of information easily and without much surprise; the Pharaoh's son had heard the name of the Thief King Bakura. That was no miracle._

_"Thief King Bakura." Bakura repeated, proud of himself. He leaned closer to the boy. "You are pretty, little Atem. And you know what?"_

_Naive. Ever so naive, the soon to be Pharaoh Atem. He opened his mouth to voice a 'what?', and Bakura wasted no time before forcing his tongue down the boy's throat._

_"You'll wish you had killed me when you had the chance," Bakura said as he pulled away, "But at least I'm glad you didn't."_

_Bakura turned to leave, and the boy just stood there, clued to the ground, even though glue wasn't yet invented, at least not in its modern form._

_"Wait!" he suddenly cried, before looking around in alert. Was anyone watching, would anyone see, could they somehow prove what he had done?_

_Back then, everything was easier. Nobody saw - it didn't matter. No one would ever know._

_He closed the remaining distance between them - between their lips - again, forcing Bakura to lean down slightly._

_"Why did you do that?" the boy whispered, hiding his face in Bakura's bare chest. Maybe a part of his brain already understood that Bakura's reasons were different from his own._

_"You're mine." Bakura said back, wrapping his arms around the other tan male comfortingly._

_Atem seemed pleased with this answer - he didn't pull away._

_If only he had known what Bakura meant. Bakura didn't like him, didn't want him, didn't care for him... And most definitely did not love him._

_Bakura just wanted him dead._

* * *

><p>I love you, so I would never hurt you.<br>I love you, so I would never lie to you.  
>I love you, so I would never think of anyone else but you.<br>I love you, so I would never kill you after you're no longer of use for me.  
>I love you, so I would never use you as my pawn all along.<p>

That's human logic for you. Feelings were the stupidest invention ever; just because someone claimed to love you, it didn't mean that they would actually put you before anything else.

Pharaoh Atem was stupid to fall for this trick.

So was Ryou Bakura.

But for Ryou's defense, he at least offered more of a challenge. A challenge was what kept Bakura from going insane, while also destroying his sanity.

In the end, that challenge provided by his yadonushi was why he had stayed in the first place. Why he messed with the teenager's sanity while the other destroyed his.

Maybe all this was because the white-haired teenager had, despite being around the same age as Atem, seen more life, more cruelty, more misery, more pain than the oblivious Pharaoh.

For Atem, it only took a kiss and a few words.

* * *

><p><em>"Bakura! You scared me!" Atem cried upon finally noticing the tomb robber standing behind him. He once again used his special permission to refer to Bakura with his name.<em>

_Bakura chuckled at this, "Sorry. Force of habit." as he sat next to the other on the sand with his feet crossed. "What are you doing in a place like this?" he said and motioned at the empty desert in front of them._

_Atem stared at him dubiously, "Me? Me? What are __**you**__ doing here?"_

_Why was Bakura there, indeed?_

_He had just robbed a tomb of Atem's ancestors. But of course, he wouldn't ever be honest with Atem. That would be more than enough to break the fragile bond between them. And Bakura had use for that bond._

"_Why do you even ask? You are here, aren't you?" Bakura chuckled, resting his head on his palm as he studied Atem's expressions._

_Atem blushed slightly. Why that was, Bakura didn't bother guessing. Attraction, most likely. Couldn't blame the young man for that…_

"_Got me. And I'm here because father made me study. Again. With __**Mana**__. He just doesn't understand that I don't like her like that! She's a great friend but…" Atem trailed off, seeming to suddenly become aware of how close Bakura's face was._

"_But?" Bakura chuckled again, pleased by the way he had gotten the other in an embarrassing situation._

_Atem looked away, "But I don't want to spend my life with her! Or have children with her!"_

"_Very enlightening. I bet Aknamkanon only wishes for your happiness, though." Bakura informed the other. This should make Atem trust him even more, knowing Bakura wanted him to be happy, even if he wasn't included in this happiness._

_(Not like Atem would ever be allowed to find happiness either way.)_

"_But I don't want Mana! I want you!" Atem insisted, his eyes suddenly widening as he realized what he had said, "I mean…"_

_Bakura only chuckled. "Likewise."_

* * *

><p>"I'm not paranoid, yami. And besides, you knew him, in the past. Who am I to meddle if he's-"<p>

Bakura actually had to fight back a groan. His host had just started crying once again.

"I do think so. He means nothing to me. He never did."

"But then why-" 'Why did you even bother trying to kill him if he didn't matter-! Why did you talk to him? Why were you WITH HIM?'

"You didn't exist, in that world. In that time. What was I supposed to do without you there?" Bakura said, managing to shut the other up.

Lies. Lies that followed the lies told before them. So many lies one wouldn't remember them even if he wanted to. And Bakura didn't even care enough to ask himself, 'how many lies?'

But somehow, the worst of Bakura lies always seemed to bring his host the most comfort, even in situations like this one.

'Love' was cruel, like that.

Ryou's eyes snapped open before he sighed lovingly, "Sorry, Bakura. I guess I am a little paranoid."

"It's alright. I can't blame you, I should've told about my connections to Atem sooner... But as I said, he didn't matter, so I didn't think..."

"No no no no no! Don't say that! I'm sorry for asking! I should've trusted you when you said it was nothing!"

* * *

><p><em>"Why did you say I'd wish I had killed you, Bakura?" Atem had his head tilted, purple eyes searching for answers. "Don't you trust me?"<em>

_"Of course I trust you, Atem." Bakura said seemingly honestly with a (fake) broken-hearted sigh, "But I'm a thief and soon you will be a Pharaoh... Do you really think it will work?"_

_Atem nodded, "Of course it works." He pressed his hand over Bakura's bare chest comfortingly, pausing momentarily to feel the tomb robber's heartbeat, "I know you're not as heartless as people think."_

_"What about me? Do you trust me?" Bakura asked, masking his proud smirk behind a worried frown._

_"Of course I trust you. I love you."_

* * *

><p>Should have trusted you.<p>

Bakura smirked inwardly, but kept his somewhat hurt and otherwise calm tone for his yadonushi, "I forgive you. Just trust me the next time I say something, okay?"

"Okay."

Bakura had gained his host's trust. Finally. Now he could use his host for anything, anytime.

And then finally kill him when he was no longer useful. Just like how he would deal with Atem when he got the chance.

* * *

><p><em>"Bakura!" Atem cried frantically after the thief who had just now tried to kill him.<em>

_Shaking his head, the aforementioned thief let out a hollow laughter, "It's Thief King Bakura to you, Pharaoh." He spat the title of the Pharaoh like Atem was some cheap slave, not worthy of facing the great Thief King._

_Though, actually, that **was **indeed what he thought about the other. Now he could finally say it._

_This seemed to discourage the new Pharaoh, as Bakura caught from the corner of his darkening vision that his shoulders slumped sadly._

_"I told you, 'You'll wish you had killed me when you had the chance', Pharaoh." Atem still seemed disheartened by the gap Bakura's seemingly polite honorifics were creating between them._

_He probably wanted to go back to the time when everything was seemingly alright, when Bakura had seemingly dropped his cold act, while he had actually just hidden his cold personality behind a nice act._

_To the time when there was just Bakura and Atem, no Thief King Bakura or Pharaoh Atem._

_But this in itself was a foolish hope. A stupid wish by an innocent boy. After all, it had been a lie all along._

_"I will be back... And I will have my revenge..."_

_With that, everything did shut down. Atem was left crying. Not for his life that was almost lost, but for his lover's life that wouldn't continue in this time._

_For the thief he had given his heart, just to have it torn in pieces violently._

* * *

><p>Just one last touch.<p>

"And yadonushi?" Bakura said carefully, not wanting to risk anything at this point, now that he was so close to having full control over Ryou, not only his body, but also his mind, heart and soul.

"What?" Ryou asked innocently. The way he said it was probably the same how Atem would've said it, given the chance to.

Despite his instincts, Bakura didn't force his tongue down Ryou's throat, but embraced the boy carefully, like he was a fragile treasure, and whispered in his ear.

"Just forget about him."

* * *

><p>And, unknown to them, somewhere on the other side of Domino City, there was a lonely Pharaoh, who repeated those same words to himself as a cruel tomb robber crossed his mind.<p>

"What are you thinking about, mou hitori no boku?" Yugi stared at his other half concernedly.

Yami's spirit form waved its hand dismissedly. "Nothing. It's not important."

Yugi didn't give up that easily. Maybe that was what Yami liked about him; his light side was a fighter, like that. "It's something since you're thinking about it."

Throwing a sheepish grin at his other half, the ancient spirit leaned to ruffle his hair. "You're right, aibou. I'm just trying to remember things about my past again."

"Remember anything?" Yugi asked, returning the grin whole-heartedly.

Yami's spirit form scratched his head awkwardly. "There was this cruel idiot... I think he caused me a lot of trouble back then."

"Like Bakura-kun's yami?" Yugi asked innocently, not realizing how he had just nailed the thing.

Yami didn't realize it, either. His memory was still so blurry, not truly making the connection between Thief King Bakura and, well, Yami no Bakura.

He could only remember the tan, tall man that had claimed to love him and then tried to kill him afterwards.

But despite how it had all ended for the two, Yami had kind of, maybe, theoretically...

Liked him. Loved him… Something of the sort, anyways.

Not that it mattered anymore. If Yami knew something about love (he didn't consider himself actually knowledgeable in this department), it was that if your lover tried to kill you, it most likely meant that they didn't want you anymore.

Despite himself, Yami laughed lightly.

"Yes... Just like him."

* * *

><p>Tell me how I did~ As in review, please~<p> 


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